Apparatus for distributing gas and air in fire boxes



Au 16' 1927. Q

g J. c LAW APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING GAS AND AIR IN FIRE BOXES Filed Feb. 6, 1926 Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,639,642 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. LAW, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING GAS AND AIR IN FIRE BOXES.

Application filed February 6, 1926. Serial No. 86,551.

This invention relates to stoves and furnaces, and has for its object to providefor an improved distribution of air and gases within the fire box to promote the burning of the fuel and to increase the heating effect.

The invention is especially useful in connec tion with poor grade fuel.

The invention is embodied in an air and gas distributing device capable of being mounted directly upon the grate of a stove or furnace without requiring any changes or alterations whatsoever in the furnace or in the grate thereof. The device is portable in the sense that it may be conveniently applied and conveniently removed without disturbing any of the elements of the stove or furnace.

Provision is made for distributing preheated air and also gas drawn from the bed of fuel so as to combine with the gases rising from the top ofrthe bed of fuel and producing a blue flame, thereby utilizing what is usually waste gases and products of combustion. Provision is also made for regulating the discharge of air and gas across the top of the bed of fuel. The device is also mounted so that it may be rotated or oscillated on its vertical axis for the purpose of breaking up clinkers wh ch may form around the grate portion of the device.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly gr pointed out in the ap ended claims, it of course being understoo that changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details may be made, within the'scope of the claims, without departin from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: v v

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a fire-box ash-pit and grate of a conventional stove ,or furnace for domestic heating havin the device of the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 ofvFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. I

For an understanding of the present invention I have shown in the accompanying drawing a furnace body 5 in which there is burning body of the fuel over the top of the a conventional or any preferred form of grate 6, dividing the furnace body into an ash-pit 7 and a fire-box 8. A fire or fuel door 9 is provided for the fire-box. and there is the usual ash-pit door 10. As shown in the drawing the grate includes triangular grate bars which are mounted to rock on their longitudinal axes.

The air and gas distributor of the present invention is in the general form of a tube 11, the lower portion 12 of which is laterally enlarged and slotted, as at 13-, to form a grate section, as will hereinafter appear. The bottom of the device is open to admit air upwardly into the tube, while the top 14 of the tube is closed and provided with an annular series of laterally directed openings or perforations 15 constituting jets for the lateral discharge of preheated air and gas rising through the tube. These jets are controlled by a damper ring lti'rota'tably embracing the perforated part of the tube and supported on an external annular shoulder or seat 17 on the tube. Perforations 18 are provided in the damper ring for registration with the perforations in the tube for regulating the size of the jets to control the escape of air and gas throught'he jets. External shoulders or projections 19 are provided on the damper ring for en a ement by the tip of a oker thrust through the firedoor 9 where y the damper maybe adjusted. Across the top of the tube is a diametric groove or seat 20 in which a poker may be placed and operated like a crank or lever to rotate the tube on its mounting on the ate; as will be hereinafter explained.

The distributor tube is seated in a base member 21 in the form of a ring, surrounding the bottom of the tube, and having a base flange 22 which'rests u on a pair of grate bars, and is provided wit a pair of openings 23 to receive headed pins 24 which lie in the spaces between adjacent wings 25 of each of the grate bars to prevent sidewise displacement ,of the base 21. Upon the grate portion 12 of the distributor tube there are several u right ribs 26 on the exterior of the tube, pre erably adjacent certain of the slots 13. These ribs terminate short of the open bottom of the tube, and the bottom ends of the ribs constitute shoulders which rest upon the top ofthe base member. That portion of the distributor tube which lies within the base member is circular in cross-section so as to provide for rotating or rock- Ill ing the tube on its longitudinal axis by manipulation of a poker placed sidewise in the seat 20 at the top of the tube. The pins 24 rest loosely in the openings in the base flange 22 and also loosel in the slots in the grate bars, whereby the atter may be rocked with out disturbing the tube and the tube may be applied and removed with ease and dispatch.

At the juncture 27 of the grate portion 12 and the tube portion 11, there is an external flange portion 28, the top of which is in clined downwardly and outwardly from the tube, while the underside 29 of the flange is inclined or beveled upwardly and outwardly from the tube.

In the use of my invention, the device is mounted in the manner shown and described, and fuel is introduced into the fire-box and upon the grate and the fire started in the usual manner. As the fuel burns, a bed of ash 30 will accumulate upon the grate in the usual manner, and a bed of burning coals 31 will rest upon the top of the bed of ashes 30. It is the usual practice to maintain an ash bed of about four inches in thickness. The slotted or grate portion of the distributor tube is of a length to extend slightly above the top of the ash bed, so that under natural draft, air will pass from the ash-pit upwardly through the open bottom of the distributor device, and will escape laterally outward through the slots 13 into the bed of burning coal so as to effectually supply air thereto and thereby promote combustion in the burn ing bed of coal. Air will also rise through the tube and will discharge through the registered openings 15 and 18 at the top of the tube so as to supply preheated air to mingle with the gases rising from the burning fuel and producin a blue flame extending across the top of the burning fuel thereby to produce heat and utilize what is normally waste product of combustion.

Sufficient air may be introduced into the ash-pit without requiring the ash-pit door 10 being left open, by the provision of .an inlet nipple 32 mounted in an opening 33 provided in a wall of the ash-pit.

The device may also be operated under forced draft by the provision of an electric fan or blower 34 having its discharge nozzle 35 located adjacent to the flared open outer end of the nipple 32 and in axial alignment therewith. The lead 36 from the fan or blower, ma extend to any point and be connected Wit a suitable switch for starting and stoppin the blower. Under forced draft, a considerable portion of the air introduced into the ash-pit will rise vertically through the distributor device and will draw ases from the lower portion of the burning fuel 31 upwardly through the distributor device, and these gases and preheated air will mingle and discharge through the ets 15 and produce a blue flame across the reeaeae to of the burning fuel, thereby utilizing w at is normally waste products to increase the heating eflect of the furnace. I have found that a fan or blower of very small capacity, for instance one delivering 25 to 35 cubic feet of air per minute and of 1/25 or 1/30 horse-power, is amply sufficient for domestic purposes. It is not necessary to employ the fan or blower continuously, and the purpose of the fan or blower is primarily for use in the morning or at an othertime for quickly promoting the combustion of the fuel and increasing the temperature of the furnace.

It is preferred to have the discharge nozzle of the fan or blower separate from but close to the open outer end of the air inlet of the ash-pit so that the fan may not become heated by conduction from the walls of the furnace. The inlet end of the nipple 32 is flared and of materially greater diameter than the discharge end ofthe blower nozzle 35 in order to supply a sufficient amount of air under natural draft and to provide for drawing in atmospheric air through the inlet nipple other than that which is discharged from the discharge nozzle 35.

A very careful study of the present invention in operation has shown that the highly preheated air passes from the distributor device into the combustion chamber, above the burning fuel, under natural draft, and immediately mixes with the carbon gases arising from the burning bed of fuel and is converted into carbonic acid gas CO, and that under forced draft, the gases from the distillation portion of the burning fuel are drawn through the slotted portion of the distributor and unite with the oxygen of the air passing upwardly through the device, and these united gases are ejected through the jets at the top of the device into the combustion chamber as carbonic acid gas CO and the admixture of such gas with the carbon gases arising from the top of the. coal bed produces a blue flame involving complete combustion of what would otherwise be waste products. It will therefore be understood that in addition to the physical device, my invention involves a method of withdrawing gases from the distillation zone of the burning fuel, uniting them with preheated airdrawn from the ash-pit, the conducting of the mixture upwardly through, but out of contact with the burning fuel, and the discharging of the mixture across the top of the bed of fuel and into the carbon gases arising therefrom so as to bring about a perfect combustion of these mixed gases, all in a very simple and effective manner.

A further important feature of the invention, as shown by actual ractice, where there is no spark or gas ignition present in they combustion chamber, as when charged with fresh fuel, and whether under natural or forced draft, the nitrogen of the heated air, ascending through the distributor (about 79% by volume) and being lighter than air, ascends and discharges rapidly, dilutes heavy volumes of explosive gas, and which diluted gas ascends more rapidly and passes oif to the stack. In this respect the distributor or tube functions as a relief valve, the principle being especially advantageous in burning bituminous coals, precluding the possibility of destructive gas explosions, without respect to the manner of 'banking the fuel.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an ash-pit, a grate and a fire-box above the grate, of a gas and air distributor supported upon the grate and provided with a longitudinal passage communicating at its lower end with the ash-pit and having damper-controlled lateral discharge jets below and adjacent its upper end, the lower portion of the device having straight vertical side walls provided with longitudinal slots of a length to extend above the normal ash-bed as and for the purpo e described.

2. The combination with an ash-pit, a grate and a fire-box above the grate, of a gas and air distributor supported upon the grate and provided with a longitudinal passage communicating at its lower end with the ashpit and having damper-controlled lateral discharge jets below and adjacent its upper end. the lower portion of the device having straight vertical side walls provided with longitudinal slots of a length to extend above the normal ash-bed as and for the purpose described, said gas and air distributor being provided with external longitudinal clinker breaking ribs on the slotted portion thereof, and said distributor being mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis.

3. The combination with an ash-pit, a grate and a fire-box above the grate, of a circular seat mounted upon the grate, and a gas and air distributor rotatably mounted upon the seat, said distributor having a longitudinal passage communicating at its bottom with the ash-pit and provided below and adjacent its upper end with damper-controlled laterally discharging jets, the lower portion of the distributor having straight vertical side walls provided with longitudinal slots rising above the normal heighth of the ash-bed as and for the purpose described, and also provided with external longitudinal ribs extending parallel with the slots and constituting clinker breaking elements.

4. The combination with an ash-pit, a grate and a fire-box above the grate, of a circular seat mounted upon the grate, and a gas and air distributor rotatably mounted upon the seat, said distributor having a longitudinal passage communicating at its bottom with the ash-pit and provided below and adjacent its upper end with laterally discharging jets, the lower portion of the distributor having straight vertical side walls provided with longitudinal slots rising above the normal heighth of the ash-bed, and also provided with external longitudinal ribs extending parallel with the slots and consti-- tuting clinker. breaking elements, the top of the distributor having a seat for the reception of a poker for the purpose of oscillating the distributor on its seat.

5. An air and gas distributor for fireboxes, comprising a tubular distributor member provided near itstop with laterally disposed damper-controlled exhaust jets and having its bottom end open, the lower portion of the device having Vertical straight side walls provided with longitudinal slots having a length to extend. above the top of the ash-bed normally maintained upon a grate as and for the purpose described.

6. An air and gas distributor for fireboxes, comprising a tubular distributor member provided near its top with laterally disposed damper controlled exhaust jets and having its bottom end open, the lower portion of the device having vertical straight side walls provided with longitudinal slots having a length to extend above the top of the ash-bed normally maintained, upon a grate as and for the purpose described, ex-

ternal longitudinal clinker breaking ribs upon the lower portion of the distributor member and extending parallel with the slots, and a base to rest upona. grate and on which the distributor is rotatably mounted.

7. A gas and air distributor for fire-boxes, comprising a base having a vertical opening surrounded by an upstanding ring, a distributor tube having its lower portion rotatable within the ring ofthe base and pro- .vided with external longitudinal clinker breaking ribs resting at their bases on the ring, the bottom of the distributor being open, the lower portion of the distributor having vertical straight side walls provided with longitudinal slots of a length to extend above the top of the ash-bed normally maintained on a grate as and forthe pur-' pose described, and the top of the distributorbeing closed and provided with damper controlled laterally discharging jets.

8. A gas and air distributor for fire-boxes,

comprising a tubular distributing member open at its bottom end closed at its top end and provided with laterally discharging jets adjacent its top; a perforate damper ring rotatably embracing the jet portion of the distributor, the lower portion of the distributor having vertical straight side walls pro vided with longitudinal slots of a length as and for the purpose described.

9. A gas and air distributor for fire-boxes, comprising a tubular distributing member open at its bottom and closed at its top and provided With damper controlled laterally discharging jets below and adjacent its top,

the lower portion of the distributor having 5 vertical straight side walls provided with longitudinal slots of a length to extend above the top of the ash-bed normally maintained upon a grate as and for the purpose described, there being an external annular flange overhanging the tops of the slots, the underside of the flange being inclined up wardly and outwardly.

JAMES C. LAW. 

